By Mary Lindow
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"Attracting the Eye Of God" – Part 1
God's eyes are searching to and fro over the earth looking for a heart that is fully His (2 Chronicles 16:9). What caught His eye when He came to Deborah? Was it the uncompromising fire of holiness, an unwavering faith or an unrelenting love that set her apart? Was it something about the integrity of her character, the depth and integrity of her wisdom and the richness of her kindness which produced confidence in both men and women?
The Lord is so jealous for each one of us to love Him and know Him. When we start to move away from Him, He allows evil kings to oppress us. The Word tells us that God is the one who appoints evil kings and magistrates, but He also raises up the godly judges and kings! Deborah was the fourth judge and for the first 20 years of her 40-year reign, the nation was oppressed by one of history's most powerful and cruel Canaanite Kings, Jabin, and his sneaky military commander, Sisera. (Judges 4:1-4)
DEBORAH CAPTURED THE HEART OF GOD
What is amazing is that the Lord raised up a woman to deliver a nation! What is especially surprising is that it happened in the Middle East thousands of years ago! Deborah was not only a wife, mother, intercessor and prophetess but also a judge and a national deliverer. That’s not a bad resume for a middle-aged woman living in that oppressive Middle Eastern culture.
Against great odds, God used her powerfully. Deborah broke outside of her culture but she wasn't in rebellion, she was in obedience -- to her God. She was used radically and set her people free, and the people loved her. It's a wonderful story of faith in God, and it champions men and women partnering together in a war to save their nation from great oppression.
When we read about this revolutionary prophetess and judge, it expands our religious studies of women being allowed to lead governmentally. But I really feel that God is raising up a troupe of end-time Deborah's. There is great global shaking that has only just begun, and the Lord is calling not only the men, but also the women of God! The Lord is saying,
“Wake up, Deborah, be a part of the army of the Lord.”
There are two root words for consecrate in Hebrew: naver (separating from) and kadesh (separating unto). Deborah, like the other defenders of the faith, was separated from the world and unto God. She did nothing on her own but spoke just what the Father taught her. This is where the true victory lies, in listening to Him.
DEBORAH'S WORK HISTORY
We tend to think of multi-tasking as a 21st century sensation, but Deborah was functioning in five major roles.
Intercessor
Many scholars believe that one of Deborah's roles before becoming judge was being a lamp lighter in the temple. In the Bible, oil is often a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Deborah was married to Lapidoth, whose name means, shine, lamp, flame, burning lamp, lightening, torch. Isn't it interesting? He, too, was a lamp that had oil!
Deborah was a keeper of the oil and light, carefully tending the lamps. This shows us that she was a woman who was passionately spending long hours dwelling in the temple. She was a woman of prayer and of worship. She lived between two villages, Ramah and Bethel, in Ephramin, which means the valley of fruitfulness. Biblical names often have profound prophetic meanings. The ancient village of Ramah was known to be the seat of high adultery. Bethel was known as the house of the Lord with open heavens, where Jacob had his ladder experience in Genesis 28. She stood in the gap interceding between the seat of high idolatry and pagan worship and the house of Bethel with its open heavens.
Now the picture becomes a little clearer as“ Deborah was raised up by God to intercede against idolatry (Ramah). She wanted to turn the hearts of the children of Israel back to the house of God (Bethel) to inherit a double portion of fruit (Ephraim).
Deborah's relationship with the Lord was very precious and intimate. I believe that in those twenty years of captivity, Deborah stood in the gap and interceded to change the course of Israel. God promised Abraham, in Genesis 18, that He would save a nation for the sake of ten righteous men. I believe that the righteous prayers of Deborah availed much!
She worshipped and had a deep intercessory life with God. She would go into the temple and fill the lamps with oil and ask God for revelation for people around her in great darkness. She was prepared in this secret place as she stood in the gap in desperate intercession for her people and her nation. She would hear from God and would bring down great wisdom and counsel. She spent long hours in the temple. This dedication moved the very heart of God and changed the very heart of Deborah. He led, she followed.
She led, Israel followed.
Oftentimes we have the misunderstanding that worship is merely the thirty-minute time slot before the sermon when we sing songs of devotion to God. This is part of worship. But doing small things with great love unto Him is living a life of worship. Deborah was a worshipper who loved the oil of the lamps, the Holy Spirit.
We need to be like Deborah, a people of prayer. Sincere and passionate prayer is the key to unlock our relationship with Almighty God. Many struggle with praying because they feel that their intercession is not much more than empty cries to an invisible God who seems so distant. We think that our prayers bounce off the ceiling and back to us unheard and unanswered. But beloved, God loves conversing with you! He promises that He will hear you and answer! It takes only a few seconds of a face-to-face encounter with God to change the course of human history for you, your city, or your nation.
In fact, connecting with God is the highest purpose for which you were created! This is eternal life to know Me! (John 17:3) Our hunger for God is what fuels our prayer life. When His presence is our passion and our hunger is for His heart, we can approach the throne of God boldly with the confidence that our Papa loves our prayers, but having this first love is so important.
For Deborah, intercession was an exchange of ideas in which God began to download strategic battle plans, blue prints from heaven, and keys to open doors that no man can shut and shut doors that no man can open. Isa. 22:22
How else could she have so wisely judged so many civil cases with the Israelites?
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Thank you. Copyright © 2011 "
THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow
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